It's the biggest cinematic event in years, and Avengers: Infinity War doesn't disappoint,
shocking fans with all sorts of stuff that we're totally about to spoil.
Seriously, this video is full of spoilers.
What kind of spoilers?
Well, like this spoiler: at the end of Infinity War, half the universe was wiped out with
a single snap of Thanos's giant purple hot dog fingers.
But considering the deaths were supposedly random, fans couldn't help but notice that
all of the founding Avengers somehow survived.
So why did these specific characters gain plot immunity?
Here's a look at the real reasons these Avengers survived Infinity War.
Bringing the series full circle
2012's The Avengers brought the Marvel Cinematic Universe together for the first time, weaving
together heroes from separate franchises into one blockbuster behemoth that changed the
face of cinema.
Plus, it also introduced the threat of Thanos in a key mid-credit scene teaser.
So it's only fitting that 2019's Avengers 4 will bring the franchise full circle with
the original team re-assembling to save the universe one last time.
It's no coincidence that Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, and Black Widow all
survived Thanos's finger snap.
And though Hawkeye was missing from Infinity War, it's already been confirmed that Jeremy
Renner will be in Avengers 4.
It all began with these six Avengers, and it looks like it's probably going to end with
them as well.
The last hurrah
Though the details of their contracts aren't made public, comments from stars like Robert
Downey Jr. and Chris Evans have hinted at the fact that many of the key players in the
MCU are apparently nearing the ends of their contracts and they may not be back.
Though Chris Hemsworth has indicated he might be up for another Thor film, Evans has been
pretty clear that he's ready to move on to something else.
"A lot of our contracts are through.
I mean, myself, Downey, Hemsworth.
We all kinda started roughly at the same time.
And I think we all through Avengers 4 kinda wraps it up."
With Captain America and possibly Iron Man set to depart the series for good, it makes
sense for them to be the heart of Avengers 4 just as they've been the heart of the MCU
for the past 10 years.
One or both of them may even sacrifice himself to set the universe right.
Cap's story is about always doing what's right no matter how hard it gets, while Iron Man's
arc is about a selfish man learning to be selfless, so putting it all on the line would
make perfect sense for either or both of them.
Iron Man's destiny
In Infinity War, Doctor Strange uses the Time Stone to look at 14,000,605 possible futures,
and finds only one in which the heroes manage to defeat Thanos.
Later, when Thanos is about to kill Tony Stark, Strange gives him the Time Stone in return
for Tony's life, telling Tony, "It's the only way."
It's clear that Iron Man is key to whatever secret plan Dr. Strange has formulated.
Which makes sense, as Stark's character arc for the past several years has been all about
dealing with the threat of alien invasion, and Thanos in particular.
Thematically, Tony has to be there at the end to take down Thanos, something that Dr.
Strange apparently knows as well.
The Hulk's return
Remember, Bruce Banner never turned into the Hulk in Infinity War's final battle.
We were all waiting for those green muscles to erupt out of the Hulkbuster armor, but
the moment never came.
Hulk refusing to come out of Banner's subconscious is almost unprecedented and the implication
is that he was traumatized by his encounter with Thanos.
Banner's inability to transform is a setup building to the dramatic reappearance of the
Hulk at the exact moment when his strength is most needed, which is bound to be in Avengers
4.
Captain America's final stand
One of the most iconic moments in the original Infinity Gauntlet comic book is when Captain
America, just a regular guy from Brooklyn, stands up to Thanos, a death god with power
of reality itself.
Cap knows he can't win, but he stands against Thanos anyway because it's the right thing
to do.
"You just don't know when to give up, do you?"
"I can do this all day."
It's one of the most iconic Captain America moments of all time, and while it's briefly
alluded to in Infinity War, it would be a real shame if we didn't get to see the whole
showdown in Avengers 4.
Black Widow's redemption
Much of Natasha Romanoff's MCU backstory remains a mystery, but we know she's trying to atone
for the sins of her past.
As she put it in Avengers,
"I've got red in my ledger.
I'd like to wipe it out."
What that means, is that she owes the world a debt for the evil things she's done, necessitating
the heroic choices she now makes.
Saving half the living beings in the entire universe would be the ultimate way to settle
those debts once and for all.
War Machine's connections
Of the official Avengers who survived the finger snap, War Machine is the only non-founding
member.
So why is he still around?
Well, besides being one of the earliest heroes in the MCU, he's also a key government liaison.
Sure, he disobeyed orders by not arresting Cap's team when they came to him for help
in Infinity War, but with his military and political experience, he can probably smooth
it over and get the Avengers the kind of help they'll need now that Nick Fury and the remaining
SHIELD hierarchy have been turned to dust.
Rocket's family
One of the most shocking things about the end of Infinity War is that all of the Guardians
of the Galaxy die.
All of them, that is, except Rocket.
And it makes sense.
Up until now, Rocket's story up to this point has been about his adopted family teaching
him to be less cynical and selfish.
With that family gone, it's up to Rocket to put those lessons into play and do the right
thing without prompting from Star-Lord or Groot, but because he's now a hero himself
in his own right.
Plus, he's also the only space pilot the Avengers have, and if they're going to track down Thanos,
that could be a really handy skill.
Nebula's revenge
Before Infinity War, Nebula wanted to kill her adopted father Thanos, and that was before
he tortured her, murdered her sister, and wiped out half the universe.
Yet, Nebula still lives, and we have good reason to believe she may get the revenge
she seeks.
Because in the comics, it's not the combined might of Earth's Mightiest Heroes that defeats
Thanos and restores life to those he murdered, it's Nebula!
Yep, in the original story, Nebula steals the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos and uses
its power to return the universe to its original state, bringing untold trillions of people
back to life around the universe.
She may not be an official member of the Guardians of the Galaxy or the Avengers, but before
all is said and done, it may be Nebula who finally gets the last laugh on dear old dad.
"I will buy a warship with every conceivable instrument of death.
I will hunt my father like a dog and I will tear him apart, slowly."
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